Stormy Weather
by Ju Ju La La Love
Summary: Aren't you tired of Bella being and idiot? I am! So I'm sending her a little help. This story takes place between New Moon and Eclipse. I'm not finished with it yet and it's my first story on this site so enjoy and please be gentle with it.
1. Chapter 1

To those who live in a world without sun where the rain always falls, a strong wind is nothing to be concerned about. But to those who live where the sun often shines, stormy weather is an omen. Indeed, as Edward and Bella walked from the Cullen's house to Bella's truck, they failed to notice the way the trees all seemed to shiver with anticipation. In fact, it wasn't until the old truck pulled into the Swanson's driveway that the two noticed anything strange at all.

"Wait," Edward said, placing his hand on Bella's shoulder to stop her from exiting the car.

"What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"I smell something," he said.

"What do you smell?" said Bella, her voice rising slightly in panic. "Is it Victoria? Or the Vulteri?"

"No," said the vampire. "No, it's not a threatening scent. It's just… different."

"What do you smell?"

"That's the thing. It's really faint."

"So faint even you can barely smell it? Impossible."

"It's something on the wind," he said. "If I had to guess, I'd say it smells like… jasmine."

"Jasmine? But jasmine doesn't grow around here," Bella pointed out.

"Well," said Edward. "I could be wrong. My sense of smell has never failed me like this before."

Bella wrapped her arms around Edward. "It's okay. Even vampire superpowers aren't perfect I guess. Maybe you should go home, talk to Carlisle or Esme.. They might know why an exotic flower is wafting its scent all the way to Forks. I'm sure it's just some freak weather thing."

"Mmm, maybe. You sure you don't want me to come in with you? Say 'hi' to Charlie?"

"No, I'll be fine. I'm a big girl after all. I tie my own shoes and everything. Now go, before I change my mind."

She leaned into him one more time so he could kiss her, and then he was gone. Bella sighed and turned to enter the house. As she climbed the stoop in front of the door, she noticed an envelope sticking out of her mailbox. She gently removed it so she could examine it.

The parchment was of high quality and the most beautiful shade of pale blue. Someone had written her name on it in a fancy calligraphy and on the back they had drawn an ornate design, reminiscent of a Celtic labyrinth. She opened the envelope and pulled out its contents: a tarot card. Number two, the High Priestess.

All of a sudden, Bella was overcome by the scent of jasmine flowers. Her face grew hot and her mind grew hazy. She took a step and staggered. The world grew dark and she fell against the door, unconscious. In the distance, thunder rumbled. The wind picked up and blew in from the west. To those who live in Forks all their life it was just common weather. But to those who knew better, the wind told of new wonders that would arrive upon its back.


	2. Chapter 2

_Bella was standing in the ocean. Miles of endless shoreline stretched behind her, and the vast aqua blanket of a tropical sea stretched before her. She could feel the wet sand between her toes as a breeze tossed her hair off her shoulders. The wind here smelled like salt and jasmine. _

_All of a sudden, the waves ceased. The ocean was completely still. The water began to bubble and foam as a large peach-colored object emerged from beneath the brine. At first, Bella thought it was some sort of floatation device, the kind families will buy for their summer trips to the beach. But as more of the mysterious object appeared, she came to realize it was a giant pink clam shell. She stared as the shell opened. _

_Sitting inside the shell was a woman, her long blond hair cascading down her naked body. She seemed to glow from within, and Bella felt that she should be kneeling before such a beauty. This was obviously no mortal woman. She could only be an ancient deity, come from some far off domain forgotten by human kind. _

_When the woman saw Bella she smiled. Two doves flew down from the sky and each dropped something at the lady's feet. The goddess called out to Bella and beckoned her forth. Bella blinked and found herself standing on top of the water, right in front of the shell. She bent down and picked up what the doves had dropped at the woman's feet; a rose and a jasmine flower._

_Bella slid her thumb up and down the stem of the rose, thinking it had no thorns. But just as her attention had begun to shift to the other flower, a sharp pain returned it to the rose, or, more accurately, her thumb which now bled profusely. The blood poured down her hand and wrist and fell into the sea._

_As soon as the blood hit the water the sky turned gray. The sea grew cold and wild and tossed violently beneath her feet. In the sky overhead, vultures appeared and began to shriek and swoop low, trying to hit Bella. "I'm not dead yet!" she cried. The birds swooped again, and this time one hit her in the head. She screamed and dropped both of the flowers. The rose turned to foam and was swept away with the tide. The jasmine, however, began to grow larger, wrapping itself slowly around Bella's legs and creeping up her body. She looked to the goddess for help._

_"Trust the jasmine," was all that the lady said. "He will keep you safe." With that, the woman curled into a ball as her shell closed and sunk beneath the waves._

_The jasmine had grown large enough to close its bud around Bella's entire body. At first she struggled, trying to break free. Finally, the warmth and scent got to her and she began to relax. She could faintly hear the sound of the scavenger birds outside, trying to peck through the seemingly delicate petals of the jasmine. Bella sunk to the floor of the flower, curled up like a child in a womb. _

* * *

Bella opened her eyes to see her bedroom filled with six worried faces staring back at her. Five of them were deathly pale, and one was red and flustered from panic.

"Wusevyun ooking a?" she muttered sleepily. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad to see you're up," said Carlisle. "We were afraid you had gone into a coma."

"You gave us all quite a scare," said Esme. "Charlie called us to say he found you lying outside unconscious."

Charlie, who had been silenced by panic, suddenly regained use of his tongue. "You are grounded young lady!" he shouted suddenly. Everyone turned to stare at him.

"What for?" Bella shouted back, quickly regaining her wits.

"For scaring the hell out of me, that's what!"

"Charlie, you seem to still be in shock," said Carlisle. "Why don't you go make Bella some tea?" Grudgingly, Charlie obliged and left the room. All present members of the Cullens family turned to stare at Bella.

"What?" she said, feeling hurt at their seemingly accusing glares. "I don't know why you all look so surprised. It's not like I'm the model example of safe living. Besides, it's been a while since my last accident. You should have been expecting this."

Suddenly, Edward was at her side. "It's not the accident that has us worried," he said. "It's just that—" He couldn't finish his sentence because all of a sudden Alice had a fistful of his hair and was pulling him out of the way. A space now free, she was next to Bella on the Bed with her arms thrown around her.

"Bella!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! I should have been able to see this coming! I should have been there to stop this! I have failed you!"

Alice burst into highly dramatic sobs as Bella patted her on the back, trying to soothe her. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"As Edward was trying to tell you," he said, "The fact you passed out is not what worries us. What worries us is that you were twitching and yelling in your sleep."

"Why didn't you take me to the hospital then?"

"Charlie didn't want to," Esme replied. "At least not right away. He wanted to see if you would come out of it on your own."

"Yes," said Carlisle. "He said something about you being in and out of the hospital so much lately that he was afraid they'd call the authorities about child abuse."

"I'm sorry I caused you all so much worry," said Bella.

"Don't be sorry," said Edward who had managed to pry Alice off of Bella and was now next to her again. "We're just glad you're okay. Do you remember what you dreamed? Why you were screaming?"

"No," she said. "I don't. I can't remember a thing. Oh wait! What about the envelope? And that card? They were waiting in the mailbox when I got home. I was holding them when I passed out. I remember that."

The Cullens all looked at each other. "Honey," said Esme, taking Bella's hand . "You weren't holding anything when Charlie found you. The mail hadn't even come yet."

"Oh," said Bella, thinking to herself that she was sure that there had been an envelope. "I guess I must have dreamt that too."

* * *

The next day Edward drove Bella to school. Charlie had protested that she was not well enough to leave her bed. Bella insisted that she could not miss any more days of school and that she was well enough for one more day before the weekend. The compromise was that she not drive herself. And so it was that Bella Swann was present the day all the lives of the teenagers of Forks were flipped upside down.

It was in her first period math class, as a powerful storm stirred itself up outside the room, that Bella's teacher made an announcement. "We will be receiving a new student into our class today. I'm told that when they have finished with him in the office he will be coming to join us for first period."

As soon as the teacher had finished saying this, the door burst open. A gust of wind blew papers off of desks and the students nearest the opening became drenched from the pounding rain. The room filled with an exotic floral scent that had recently become all too familiar to Bella. The stranger in the doorway spoke.

"Sorry I'm late."


	3. Chapter 3

The room was silent, save for the sounds of the raging storm outside. All eyes turned to look at the pale stranger in the doorway. He was not very tall, but he was thin, and he stood with a noble grace. He wore tight black pants and what could easily pass as a corset, both articles of clothing showing just how skinny he was. On his feet he wore flip flops, the open toes revealing nails painted a bright blue. Silver bangles dangled on his wrists and made a pleasant wringing sound when they moved together.

As captivating as the stranger's outfit was, it could not compare to the unusualness of his hair. His head was gelled into a mess of thick spikes that pointed every which way. The majority of his mane was a sandy blond color or black. However, dispersed here and there throughout were brightly colored strips of hair; two for every color of the rainbow.

The whole class held their breath. The stranger took a step. He was so elegant. He took another step. How graceful! Another step. How stunningly beautiful! The stranger took one more step and… tripped. He tripped and fell, right in front of the teacher. The spell was broken. All the students in the front row dived to help this new student to his feet. The stranger thanked them all graciously and smiled at his own clumsiness. He handed the teacher a note he had been carrying.

"Everyone," the teacher began after reading the note, "I would like to introduce you all to your new classmate, Wick VanAlton. Mr. VanAlton, we are pleased to have you here. If you would be so kind as to take a seat next to Mr. Crowley."

Bella watched as Wick sat down right in front of her, next to Tyler. Tyler was kind of geeky and always turned to stare at her, so she expected him to pay Wick little attention. However, when Wick brushed against Tyler as he sat down, Tyler's face got red. Instead of turning to try to talk to Bella, he turned instead to Wick.

"Wick, that's a pretty uncommon name," Tyler said nervously. Wick smiled kindly and when he spoke his voice was gentle.

"My parents are retired hippies," he said. "They thought the name sounded artsy."

The rest of the class went that way. Tyler would whisper a question and Wick would reply. As the period wore on, Bella realized that Tyler was making a lame attempt to flirt with Wick. She was shocked. Not two days before Tyler had been trying again to get Bella to go to a dance with him. Now he was flirting with a member of the same sex?

Bella glanced around. She realized that Tyler was not the only one affected by the transfer student. Every guy in the classroom was staring at him, a glimmer of lust in their eyes. Bella was shocked by what she saw. She didn't know what to make of this beautiful stranger who smelled like jasmine and could make boys forget their attraction to girls. All she knew was that she didn't trust him.

* * *

Wick had been in three more of Bella's classes, and in every class it was the same; boys who had liked girls the day before were getting aroused over him. Even the sleaziest of guys forgot their orientation in his presence. By the end of the day, Bella was genuinely concerned. After school she went to the parking lot as usual. She was just about to get into Edward's car when Wick walked by.

"Edward," said Bella after Wick had passed them by. "Did you see that new kid today?"

"You mean Wick? Yeah, he's in my English class."

"I see," Bella said, getting worried. "You didn't get the urge to, I don't know, stare at him, did you?"

"Um," said Edward, "No. Not that I recall. Why?"

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. It's just that, well, he seems a little strange to me."

"He's got fifty piercings. Of course he seems strange."

"No, it's not just that. Could you do me a favor? Could you read his mind? Tell me what he's thinking?"

Edward frowned but obliged. His face relaxed and went into a look of concentration. All of a sudden it was contorted in pain.

"What's the matter?" Bella cried, grabbing onto his arm.

"I'm being blocked," Edward said.

"Like when you try to read my mind?" she asked.

"No. When I read your mind there's simply nothing for me to read. This was like a wall was keeping me out. When I tried to approach his thoughts I got a shock of pain." He staggered a bit. "A big shock."

"Sit down," said Bella, opening the car door. Edward sat down in the driver's seat and watched as Wick approached the edge of the parking lot. He began to step out onto the pavement of the road. As soon as his foot hit the asphalt, every dog in the neighborhood began to howl.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella sat on her bed, thinking. Edward sat next to her, also thinking, but much more sensibly. Bella was concentrating on how to get rid of Wick. In the hour that had past since she had gotten home, Bella had concocted several schemes to get rid of the boy who smelled like jasmine and made guys start batting for the other team. Oddly enough, they all involved large amounts of bubble wrap.

Edward, while concerned about Wick's appearance in Forks, was taking a more passive approach to things. His thoughts were focused on discovering who, or what, Wick was. He had just finished a thought when Bella spoke out loud.

"I want him gone," she said. "I've got enough problems with vampires and werewolves and plots against me. I don't need to deal with this, this…"

"Homo maker?" Edward suggested.

"Whatever!" She got up and stormed over to her desk. "I just don't want things to get anymore… messy, than they already are."

"I know," he said, suddenly behind her. He wrapped his arms around her. "I understand."

"I want him gone," Bella repeated. "I just don't feel right when he's around. There's something scary about him."

"How about this?" Edward asked. "I'll go talk to Carlisle. He's been around longer than me, and he lived with the Vultori for a while. He has to know something about this."

"Alright," Bella said. "I guess that's a good idea."

"Okay," said Edward. "Be good while I'm away." And then, he was gone.

* * *

Edward entered the Cullens house. He probed with his mind and discovered that no one was home. He climbed the stairs and entered his room to sit and wait for Carlisle. When he walked in, he saw that there was a black envelope on the leather couch. Cautiously he picked it up, broke the winding wax seal on the back, and opened the envelope. He pulled out a tarot card; number seventeen- The Star.

Edward was overwhelmed by the spicy scent of jasmine. All of sudden his body was hot. He grew dizzy, staggered, and fell into what was the closest thing to sleep he had experienced in nearly one hundred years. Edward learned an important lesson that day. No one, not even a vampire, is invincible.


	5. Chapter 5

_Edward took a step forward. He could neither hear, nor see, nor smell. The only thing that made him aware of his existence was the weight of his flesh upon his bones. A thought told him that he should panic, but everything felt so numb that he saw little point in it. All of a sudden, there was a light. It shattered the darkness with a sound like tinkling bells. With the light, all his senses returned to him._

_Edward was in a strange forest. Everything about it looked different than the wooded lands surrounding Forks. It smelled different too. The light was still shining, but not so blindingly now. Edward took a small step toward the it. Then another. Then some more. He began walking, much slower than he was used too. His vampire attributes seemed to be nullified somehow by the presence of the strange beam. Finally, he was close enough to see that the light came from the body of a woman._

_The woman stood, naked, by a stream. On her shoulders she carried two earthenware jugs. Her skin was white and her hair was fair. She smiled warmly at Edward and he felt a stirring in his nether regions that made him turn a darker shade of pale with embarrassment. He then began to feel afraid._

_"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously, mentally aware of how ineloquent he sounded._

_"I am The Great Goddess of the Shining Eyes," she said. "Mistress of the stars, it is I who pulls the cloak of darkness around the world each night. It is I who sends the sun off to his rest at the end of the day. And it is I who have come to teach you what it is you have need to know."_

_The feelings in Edward's pants grew stronger and he drew away. Again she smiled._

_"Fear not the stirrings which I inspire," she said. "It is a sign that there is still life within you. Now come, I have much to tell you and little time in which to do so." With strong arms, she lifted the jugs off her shoulders and held them at her hips. "I carry with me the waters of life. Here, see how with this I give back to the earth." She took the jug in her right hand and poured its contents onto the ground. Then, she took the jug in her other hand and poured the water within into the stream at her left. "And here, I return the water to the spring from whence it came."_

_Edward was confused. "Why would you pour away something as precious as the waters of life?" he asked._

_"Because," she replied, "I have faith that they will be returned to me. In this life we take and we give. At the end, all we can do is put our trust in the great What Is and know that all will come to in its course. You too must trust in what will be."_

_Edward was about to say something, but suddenly there was a ripping pain in his chest. Just as it passed, another came. After the second one, there was a blow at his heart so strong that it picked up his entire body and threw him backwards. The woman spoke._

_"I can hold you here no longer," she said. "As we speak, your body craves to have your heart and mind return to it. There is nothing I can do to stop it now."_

_Again, Edward was thrown backward. This time, however, after he hit the ground, he continued to be dragged down the path._

_The goddess smiled sadly, as if recalling some bitter sweet memory. "Farewell, Shining Death. She must really love you, to call you back so forcefully." The light she emitted grew brighter and brighter until finally, the lady exploded in a shower of sparks. As the tiny little glitters of light fell to the ground and faded, all returned to darkness. And then…_

Slap! A hand hit Edward's face and he could feel someone on top of him. He opened his eyes. All he saw was Bella, sitting on top of his sprawled body, screaming his name and pounding on his chest. Gently, he caught her hands.

"Bella," he said. "Calm down. I'm awake."

She caught her breath. "Oh, Edward!" she cried and burst into sobs, leaning her head on his chest.

"I'm glad to see that my consciousness is appreciated, but can I please get up?"

Bella moved from his chest to the floor next to him. As Edward sat up, he saw that the entire Cullens family, even Emmett and Rosalie who were supposed to be out of the counter, was standing in a circle around him, watching with concerned looks.

"We were worried," Esme said.

"Yeah," added Emmett.

"I couldn't see you," said Alice. "Your future was blank."

Edward turned to look at Carlisle. He looked the worst. "Vampires aren't supposed to sleep," was all he said.

"How long have I been out?" Edward asked.

"Two hours," Jasper replied. "And that's just since Esme found you."

Edward looked at the clock. "If that's the time then it's been more like three." He looked over at Bella. "Why are you here?"

"We thought it best to let her know what happened," said Esme.

"I've been here about an hour," Bella informed him.

"Yeah," Alice added. "And she's been hitting you and screaming at you ever since."

"We were going to restrain her," began Emmett, "but then we decided that you probably deserved it for being the first one of us to get any sleep."

"Emmett," Rosalie hissed. "This is no time for jokes!"

Carlisle then began to speak and everyone fell silent. "What happened?" was all he said.

"I'll be more than happy to tell you," Edward started. "But first, can I get off of this floor and somewhere more comfortable?"

"Yes," said Esme. That's a good idea. Let's all go down to the living room."

The Cullens muttered their agreement and left Bella and Edward alone in the room. Edward turned to Bella.

"Shall we, my lady?" he asked. He scooped her up into his arms and jumped to his feet. "See?" he said. "Good as new." She giggled. Bella took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. Her smile faded.

"Edward," she said. "Your eyes!"

"What? They aren't red are they? We just went hunting not long ago."

"No, they're still gold. But now they have flecks of blue."


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a note my dears. I'm thinking that, as of the next chapter, the rating of this story is going to change from T to M. So, for all you gentle souls with virgin minds that have as of yet been untouched by the words of a sex starved writer, I suggest you brace yourselves for a strange and wild ride. Also, I'm in a bit of a rush, so I haven't had time yet to proofread this chapter, so forgive any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I plan to fix them later.**

* * *

Bella and Edward decided to keep the bit about his eyes to themselves. It was a good decision on their part, as the whole event had the entire Cullens family flustered. After an hour of speculating, arguing, and debating, it was decided that Edward was to stay home for a couple of days for observation. Though he protested, eventually he gave in. And so, it was for this reason that Bella found herself in the predicament, an account of which follows.

* * *

The next day at school, Bella's mind was on Edward. All through her classes she worried about him. He was her rock, her protector. He was the strong one who ripped whatever threatened her to shreds. To see him knocked back on his ass so easily unnerved her. At lunch, Alice interrupted Bella's reverie.

"He'll be okay, you know," she said.

Bella turned to her. "How do you- never mind. So, if you've seen his future, I take it you know about his eyes."

"Yeah, I figured that out yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell us this would happen?"

"I didn't know," said Alice. "It seems that whatever force is at work can't be detected by our vampire abilities."

"I don't like this," said Bella. "I don't like seeing the people I love get hurt."

"No one does." Alice patted Bella's arm. "On the bright side, we now know you aren't crazy. At least not about this. Edward said he found one of those disappearing cards too."

"Yeah, that's right. He even remembered the dream he had." Bella frowned a bit. She didn't like the idea of her boyfriend being visited by naked goddesses. She didn't care how symbolic they were. "But what does it all mean? Why is it happening?"

"I don't know," Alice said. "Today after school I'm driving into Port Angelos to see if I can find any books on tarot or dream interpretation."

Bella nodded silently and let her gaze slip across the room. On the other side of the cafeteria she saw Wick, surrounded by boys and talking to one in particular. He seemed to be pointing to something on the table. It wasn't until the crowd shifted a bit that Bella saw what Wick was holding in his left hand. A deck of tarot cards. Bella jumped up.

"Alice!" she shouted. "Look!"

"What," said Alice, confused. "You know, when you point your finger like that, I don't know what you're actually pointing to."

"It's Wick. He's got a deck of tarot cards."

"So, lots of people do. It doesn't mean that he's the one making people pass out."

"No!" Bella insisted. "They have the same designs on them, I swear. Besides, you can't deny that there's something weird about him."

"Well," said Alice, unsure.

"Try to see his future," Bella said. "Go on, try."

Alice frowned. None the less, she let her eyes grow distant. All of a sudden her face was contorted in pain. "Ow," she said. "I, I think I've just been blocked!"

"See!" said Bella triumphantly. "The same thing happened to Edward when he tried to read his mind. I'm telling you, Wick is behind all this. I'm sure of it."

Across the room, Wick was gathering his cards. To the dismay of all the boys, he slipped out the back door of the cafeteria. Bella knew that this was her chance. She started for the door. All of a sudden, she felt a cold hand stopping her.

"Don't do this Bella," Alice pleaded.

"I have to," Bella replied, her voice faltering only a little.

"I'll admit that there is something off about this Wick guy, but if he really is the one leaving you these cards, then he's dangerous."

Alice's grip was loose enough that Bella could get loose. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I have to know what he's up to." She ran to the door so that Alice couldn't catch her without exposing her secret.

When she got outside, she looked around wildly. There, leaned against the back wall was Wick and… Mike Newton. Mike looked eager and expectant. Wick looked cunning and devilish. Bella watched as Wick took Mike's face in his hands. Slowly, seductively, Wick inched his lips closer to the poor boy. When their lips met, they fell against the wall in a wild and passionate embrace. Bella saw things being done between their mouths that she thought only ever happened in smutty romance novels. Having herself dated Mike, seen his jealousy toward Edward, she new something wasn't right.

When Wick came up from the kiss, he was smiling impishly. Mike let out a moan that was a mix of pain and ecstasy. He made to cover his crotch and fell to the ground. His eyes were dull to match his expressionless face. Wick took a few steps back. "Do you swear yourself to me?" he asked Mike. Suddenly Mike came back to life.

"I swear myself, in this world and the next, until the end of time," he said. Then, he lunged forward and crawled to the spot in front of Wick's feet, where he clawed ferociously at his crotch. Wick let out a blood curdling cackle of glee.

Bella began to back away. She didn't know what she had expected to see, but it wasn't this. She had almost made it to the door when, with a twist of fate which is to be expected, she tripped and fell on her ass. The noise of her fall made Wick turn his head. His smile faded to a smirk. He ran his fingers through Mike's spiky blonde hair.

"We'll finish your initiation later, baby," he said. "Go home now. Don't talk to anyone. Lock yourself in your room and wait for me to come to you tonight."

Mike gave what sounded like a whimper, but ultimately obeyed. As he passed by the fallen Bella, he glared at her with an almost animal like ferocity and growled. This was definitely not the Mike Newton she knew. The boy who smelled like jasmine had turned him into someone else.

When his new capture had left, Wick turned his attention to the girl lying on the ground. "Now for you, Miss Swan," he said as he strode over to her and squatted onto her chest. She was now pinned to the ground. "What ever will we do? I know!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his deck of tarot cards. He took the card at the top of the deck and shoved it toward her face. It was number four: The Hermit.

Bella was enfolded in that familiar jasmine scented warmth as darkness, once again, claimed her sight.


	7. Chapter 7

_Bella looked up. She was in a forest at twilight. She could recognize the sensation of being in a dream, that loose, floating feeling of movement. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. Somewhere in her memory, she was reminded of a guide of some sort. A lady, rising out of the ocean to tell her what to do. But there were no oceans here, and there certainly wasn't anyone to show her the way. Just as she was about to lay down and try to think her way out of unconsciousness, she felt a cold wind blowing from up the wooded path. _

_Bella turned around and saw a tall cloaked figure standing behind her. It seemed masculine in build, but she couldn't see into the shadows of the cloak's hood. In one hand he held a lantern, and in the other, an old walking staff. He beckoned her to follow him, then turned and headed down the path. Feeling it would be unwise to disobey, Bella hurried to catch up to him._

_As they walked, the woods seemed to darken with each step. Just when Bella thought the world would go black again, the pair emerged from an opening in the trees. Before Bella was a large hill with an ancient oak tree on top. Hanging from a sturdy tree branch was a small wooden swing. As they walked up the hill, Bella saw that the other side of the grassy mound was so steep it could be rightfully called a cliff. It all looked very familiar to Bella._

_Bella turned to the man in the cloak. "Why have you brought me here?" she asked. Deep down, she already knew the answer._

_"There is a lesson you must learn," was the man's reply. His voice was deep and melancholy. Again, Bella found it oddly familiar._

_"And who are you to be teaching me?" she asked, a little haughtily. _

_"I am The Lonely One," he said. "I am The Hermit."_

_"Well? Are you going to tell me why we are here?"_

_"You are here," said the man, "Because it is time you know about the worlds that you live in. Until very recently, you, like most humans, thought that yours was all there was. You never looked past your own physical plane of existence. But very recently, you have made contact with the supernatural."_

_"Edward," she breathed._

_"Yes," The Hermit said. "The boy you call Edward. But, the powers I speak of run deeper still. You have, flowing within your very veins, the blood of a mystic. What had, since your birth, laid in dormant sleep, has since awakened. Surely you've noticed that your dreams of late have been more than dreams."_

_Bella looked down at her feet. "Actually, I have trouble remembering them," she said sheepishly._

_"I see," said The Hermit. "No matter. The Goddess' chosen can help with that. But for the time being, I will continue with my lesson. Now, look at the sky." He pointed up to the velvet blue night. The great expanse was filled with thousands of tiny lights. "See the stars. Know that they are indeed magical."_

_"Funny," said Bella. "I always thought they were balls of burning gas."_

_"There are forces that are as of yet unknown to you. They shall reveal themselves in time. But you must know that they are there. You must accept them, even if you can not understand them. Sometimes, the most complex things can only be understood by looking at them in a simple way. See with the eyes of a child, and embrace the wonder of what you can't understand."_

_Bella turned toward the cloaked teacher. The sense of familiarity was beginning to drive her crazy. She knew this person. If only she could see his face. A loud boom drew her attention back to the sky. Across the diamond point stars there was a spray of color. After it disappeared, another boom brought another splash of light. Then another. And then another. Soon the entire sky was filled with this spontaneously generated display of fire works. A wind had started blowing. Bella turned to ask The Hermit the meaning of the pyrotechnics, only to discover that the wind had removed his hood. Underneath the shroud had been the head of a stuffed donkey, whose pessimistic ramblings she recalled from her childhood._

_"Eeyore," she breathed. Now she new where they were. Starry Hill. Where the sad bureau would come each night to watch the magical night time extravaganza she herself witnessed now. The Hermit turned to her._

_"There is so much beauty in this world," he said. "It is beautiful, and very small. But for you, it is about to grow." He looked back up at the sky. "It is about to become very large."_

_Bella wanted very badly to stay in that peaceful little clearing in the Hundred Acre Woods. She wanted to hold onto that piece of simplicity that connected her to her childhood. But, like all dreams, this too had to come to an end. This dream, however, she would not soon forget. _


	8. Chapter 8

Bella awoke to find herself lying on the couch in the nurse's office. For a moment, images of fireworks and starry hills filled her mind and all she could do was wait until they passed. She was so distracted that she hardly noticed someone was in the room with her. It wasn't until he was standing right next to her that Bella even noticed Wick.

"You're awake," he said in a shaky, worried voice. "I'm so glad."

Bella tensed. She did not move or try to look at him. For all she knew he could have been holding another tarot card. He moved next to her and laid a hand on her arm. "Are you okay? Does this happen often?"

Still refusing to look him in the eye, Bella managed to hiss an answer through gritted teeth. "Only when I look at those cards," she said. Wick let out a little whimper.

"Oh dear," he said. "So it is my fault then."

"Of course it's your fault!" Bella shouted, forgetting that she wasn't going to look at him. She turned to glare at him and found his head was bent with shame. His eyes, normally an entrancing gray, were red and puffy with crying. Bella was caught off guard. "I mean… um."

"You weren't supposed to pass out," Wick whispered remorsefully. "The cards were just supposed to, I don't know, suggest things to you when you looked at them. I guess they were a little too forceful."

"You've got that right," Bella muttered under her breath. But Wick heard her and again he became upset.

"Oh, you must think I'm terrible! I am terrible!" he cried. "I was sent to help you and so far I've just made a mess of things."

"Well," said Bella, "To be honest, I didn't ask for anyone's help."

"I'll make this up to you!" Wick shouted, ignoring Bella's previous comment. "I'll, I'll, I'll bake you a cake!"

"Now wait a minute!" Bella shouted. "You can't just bake a cake and…" But she never finished the comment. Wick held up his hand to silence her. His gaze then followed something invisible through the air and out the office door.

"I need to go," he said. "Your nosy future seeing friend is coming."

"Wait a minute, how'd you…"

"I felt her trying. She's strong. Gave my shields a run for their money. But you'd know all about that then, wouldn't you?" Bella was confused by the question. Wick didn't seem to notice, however, for with a series of movements so swift and graceful that if Bella hadn't known better she'd have thought him a vampire, Wick was climbing out the office window. He stopped and turned to look at Bella. "I'm not lying," he said. "I am here to help you. I'm just new at this and I apologize. We'll talk, okay?" Before Bella could answer he was gone.

Just then the nurse entered, talking rapidly to Alice who followed behind her. "And that's when that new boy, the short one with spiky hair, he came in with Miss Swan. He was trying to carry her, poor little thing. Can you imagine, someone as little as you Miss Cullen, trying to carry Isabella? Well, he was crying something fierce when he came in, as if it were his fault the girl fainted. Oh, well, seems that he left. Funny, I didn't see him leave."

"Thank you nurse," Alice said gently, placing a cold hand on the woman's arm. "Could you give us a moment?"

"Of course dear," said the nurse. "I'll be just out here in the office if you need me." That said she left. Alice turned to Bella.

"I told you not to go after him!" Alice scolded. "If I can't see the future, that means we have no idea what's going on! That means it's dangerous!"

"I know," said Bella. "But I had to find out what he was up to. And it was a good thing I did!"

"How is it a good thing Bella? You passed out again, and this time we know it was Wick who caused it! Like I said, he's dangerous!"

"Yes," Bella said. "But now I know that he's done something to Mike!"

"Mike Newton?"

"Yes. He's done something to Mike, and he's not finished yet. Wick said he was going over to Mike's house tonight in order to finish something. And I plan to find out what!'


	9. Chapter 9

"Absolutely not," said Edward. He was sitting on the leather couch in his room with his arms crossed. "You are not going to confront Wick tonight."

"I have to Edward!" Bella pleaded. She had followed Alice home in her ancient truck. "Something bad is going to happen. It's going to happen tonight. He's going to do something to Mike."

"What happens to Mike is none of my business Bella," he said. "However, what happens to you is."

"Mike is our friend!" she cried. "And you're going to let him walk into the hands of someone as dangerous as Wick?"

"Wick VanAlton is mysterious, powerful and _potentially_ dangerous. We don't know what his true motives are."

"Who cares about his motives!" Bella screamed. She was beginning to work herself into a grade-a frenzy. "I don't care if this is all part of some hare-brained scheme to save the starving children in Africa, the ends do not, in this case, justify the means! He's getting inside our heads and planting things there! At the very least, he is putting me at risk of concussion every time he sends me a card!"

"Yes," said Edward calmly. "And he also said that he wasn't aware that the cards were causing you to slip into an unconscious state. You yourself said he was extremely apologetic."

"Anyone can apologize and sound like they mean it," Bella retorted. "And since when did you become so passive about my safety? What happened to my psycho-vampire man who would fight through an army of wild vampires to save my life?"

Edward turned and looked out the window. For a minute he was in another place and time. He saw the naked goddess with the two jugs. He remembered her words: _trust in what will be. _

"I don't know," he said. "I just have a feeling that you'll be okay. I'm going to trust in what will be."

Bella stared at him. "See what I'm saying about concussions? You hit your head when that card put you to sleep, didn't you?"

Edward got up and took Bella's hand in his. "I don't want you to get hurt, and even though I don't think Wick _wants_ to hurt you, until we can understand how he works I can't let you take that chance."

Bella sighed. "Alright," she said. "Then at least promise me that you'll come over tonight."

"You can bet on it," Edward said. "If you think I can trust you not to sneak off then you don't know yourself very well."

Bella stuck her tongue out at him then kissed his cheek. Without another word she left the room. When he was sure that her truck had pulled out of the driveway and down the road, Edward went into the bathroom to look and the mirror. His eyes still had flecks of blue.

Bella closed the door to her room. There on the bed was a tarot card, lying face down. She had taken a chance on the card being there. It was a key part of the plan she had formulated on the car ride home and her gamble had paid off. Now there was only one more chance she had to take before the night was over.

Very carefully Bella picked up the card so as not to turn it over. She then placed it face down on the top of her dresser. Now she just had to wait.

Hours later, after she had made dinner for Charlie and herself, Edward slipped through Bella's bedroom window. She was waiting for him on the bed.

"What's the matter?" he asked after seeing the look on her face.

"You know I love you, right Edward?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. She sighed and looked at her hands. Then she got up and walked over to the dresser.

"I want to show you something. But you have to close your eyes." He frowned slightly. "Close them!" she insisted. He obeyed.

Bella quickly grabbed the tarot card from the dresser and held it in front of Edward's face. "Open your eyes," she said. Edward opened his eyes and gasped. Number eighteen… The Moon. Before Edward could react further the world went black and he crumpled to the floor. Bella leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"I'm sorry," she said. Then, she grabbed a flashlight and slipped out the window and into the night.


	10. Chapter 10

_Edward awoke in darkness. He was lying flat upon a cold surface and when he shifted slightly, the small sound was echoed a thousand times into an audible disturbance of the silence. He was not accustomed to not being able to see in the darkness, being a vampire and all, but it would seem that in the dreams induced by Wick's tarot cards he was, for all intents and purposes, human. As he stood he realized that for the first time in nearly one hundred years he did not feel hunger. He did not need to restrain himself or check his movements. The alternate realities into which he slipped into he was not "supernatural."_

_The vampire waited until his weakened eyes adjusted to the darkness and stood in order to take in his surroundings. He seemed to have been sent to a large cavern of some sort with smooth stone floors. From behind came the sound of footsteps upon stairs and Edward turned to face whoever was approaching. It was then that he noticed a large opening in the cavern letting in the light of the full moon. On each side of this exit was a large statue of a man with a dog's head. He then realized that what he originally took to be a cavern turned out to be a large room. _

_Edward didn't have time to investigate his new surroundings further because the source of the footsteps he that had drawn his attention made its appearance. Bathed in the moon's silvery light was a tall and slender woman. She was wrapped in a dress made of gold and wore sandals on her feet. Her nose was long and her hair was black as jet, with an elegant gold circlet placed upon it. More jewelry rested upon her wrists and around her neck, all made of gold to offset her dark skin._

_At the first sight of Edward, shock crossed the woman's otherwise confident face. "You are not the one," she said. She smiled. "But no matter. My lessons serve their purpose within your destiny as well." Without a word she took the vampire's hand and led him up the stairs so that he could look out upon vast fields of sand cut through the middle by a long, winding river. "I am Cleopatra," she said, "and welcome to my Egypt."_

Bella crept through the woods that surrounded the Newton house. She had remembered Wick saying something to Mike about finishing whatever he had started later that night. So, she had a plan. She had decided that she would wait in the flora surrounding the boy's home and sit quietly until he emerged, at which point she would follow him. She had only to wait until the light of the day faded for Mike to appear. He slipped out of a second story window onto the roof and shimmied down the drainpipe then ran into the forest. Bella waited a moment and then followed.

She ran wildly and loudly, but Mike did not notice her presence. He was no longer aware of anything other than the strange force within him that compelled him forward to some unknown destination. He was a man possessed by strange passions and no longer cared what happened outside the reality of the present, and at present, he was running. Bella too was possessed, but not by passion. She was possessed by fear and uncertainty, which is easier to break away from, but a good deal harder to face. She was also unaware of her surroundings. If she had been paying attention she would have noticed the low hanging clouds, the strong winds and the distant cry of thunder. A storm was coming.

_Edward drifted upon the waters of the Nile upon a large Egyptian boat. The night was scented with water and sand and the vegetation of the Nile Delta. Cleopatra sat across from him in a grand chair while he leaned against the side of the barge. He looked her directly in the eye and spoke._

_"How is it that I came to be here?" he asked._

_"Magic, I would assume," came the answer. _

_Edward stared at the woman. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" he asked her. She laughed._

"_You are in no position to disbelieve anything, Vampire. If we are to accept that the world is filled only with what is 'believable' than you wouldn't exist."_

_Edward sighed and looked down at his feet. "You are right," he said. "I shouldn't exist." _

_Cleopatra looked at him with eyes that were kind and yet patronizing at the same time. "I only said that you wouldn't exist, not that you shouldn't. There is no one in this world that is without a purpose. You too have a destiny. If you are here now, then that means that the gods have taken interest in that destiny."_

_He looked up at her last statement. "Then you do know how I came here," he said. _

_She smiled. "I have only seen magic like this once before. It was when I was very young. As a girl, my father took me with him to inspect the temple dedicated to the old gods. The priest there told us that the acolytes were in training in the secret chambers below and my father wished to observe. Reluctantly, the priest allowed us into the sacred rooms underneath the temple floors. There was a hallway with life sized images carved in stone. Twenty two in all. The young men would stand before these icons and as soon as they set eyes upon them they would collapse. After a few moments they would awaken and start raving about how the images had spoken to them. The priest explained that only those who were chosen by the gods to carry out their will on earth could make the images speak."_

_Edward thought a moment. "I believe then that I have come across someone who is capable of bringing these images to life."_

"_I would not doubt it. After all, in your time these images of which I speak make up the Major Arcana of the Tarot deck. Secrets of the occult are not as closely guarded in your world as they were in mine. People have forgotten the true power that they hold. Anyone who has the slightest skill with the cards is capable of making them speak."_

"_But if the gods are supposed to speak through the images, than why are you here? You are not a god."_

_Cleopatra's eyes narrowed. "I am the daughter of Isis, Queen of Egypt!" she cried. Then she chuckled. "Or at least that is what I was told when I was alive. Looking back now, it was only an excuse to rule." She sighed at the memory of life and shifted in her chair. "I am here because I was called out of my karmic cycle and infused with the magic that brought you here into this pocket reality."_

_Edward was confused. "Karmic cycle?" he asked. _

"_Yes. The process of living and dying and being reborn."_

"_So you are saying that people live more than one life?"_

"_Yes."_

"_And you are saying that you are in the process of living another?"_

"_Yes."_

_Again Edward found himself confused. "But how is that possible?" he demanded. How is your soul here and on earth at the same time?"_

_Cleopatra's eyes sparkled with amusement at his curiosity. "Because souls exist outside of time."_

"_How can anything exist outside of time?"_

"_Time isn't real, that's how. It is an invention of humans to place limits on reality in order to stay anchored in it. Without the limits of time and space, creation would expand to infinite planes and reality would lose its place. Time is a bookmark of sorts for existence. Our bodies are bound by the limits it creates but our souls are not. That is how I am here."_

_One of the only senses that had not been dulled by this dream world was his sharp mind, and for this Edward was thankful. He was able to take in and understand most of what Cleopatra said._

_The queen stood up and walked over to the vampire. "Enough of these questions," she said. Are you ready to learn my lesson?"_


End file.
